"Sir, please remove your shoes before stepping through," said the stone-faced TSA agent standing next to the X-ray portal.
"Fella, I'd love to oblige, but they rolled me up here in a wheelchair. I've had surgery on my knee and I can't bend it, so I would have a hard time taking off my shoes," I replied, limping nearer the handicapped entrance to the security portal.
"It would make it a lot easier if you would just remove your shoes," the agent said, with obvious disdain.
After several more refusals and explanations, the TSA agent allowed me to hobble shod through the portal, but not before he had patted me down and swabbed my shoes for explosive residue. As the wheelchair attendant steered me clear of the security checkpoint, an Israeli gentleman who had been in line next to me chuckled.
"You are quite the threat," he said, shaking his head. "I hope you Americans get the hang of airport security before it is too late. You waste so much money and time while accomplishing almost nothing!" As we headed toward the B terminal, I launched into a discussion of U.S. airline security procedures.
"Oh, I am quite familiar with security measures at your airports," he interjected. "I am a frequent traveler here. But 9-11 put you into a different world you still choose not to accept. Our El Al airline has a policy of singling out young Arabs for extensive search procedures. And despite our ongoing war, we haven't had a hijacking in more than 30 years. We have established a travelers' database we use in conjunction with a very successful formula of personal observation. All El Al personnel are trained to look for exact behavior and mannerisms," my new friend said. "For us it is not as much profiling as it is educated observing."
I explained that Americans have a thin skin when it comes to using race to single out the bad guys. We try not to offend. "In fact, the ACLU of Massachusetts has just filed a lawsuit challenging the constitutionality of the Behavior Assessment Screening System being used at Boston's Logan Airport," I added. This program is based on the Israeli method of subtle profiling that is soon to be adopted by the TSA under the name SPOT (Screening of Passengers by Observation Techniques).
"I respect your American luxury for debate. But the truth is that one day you will destroy yourselves with political correctness," said the Israeli.
The fact that we can discuss the ethics of security in America is what sets our country apart. To that point I am more willing to endure restrictions that inconvenience us all than the singling out of one group of people. But educated profiling, as part of a sound security strategy, can be effective without being intrusive.
If you have any questions or comments for Steve Lasky regarding this issue or any other, please e-mail him at [email protected].
Steve Lasky | Editorial Director, Editor-in-Chief/Security Technology Executive
Steve Lasky is Editorial Director of the Endeavor Business Media Security Group, which includes SecurityInfoWatch.com, as well as Security Business, Security Technology Executive, and Locksmith Ledger magazines. He is also the host of the SecurityDNA podcast series. Reach him at [email protected].
